The Buffalo Bills return to play this weekend, hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of last year’s Wild Card Playoff game won by the Jaguars. With a return to play comes a return to our Bills fantasy football previews. After watching Buffalo’s offense play like an actual modern NFL team during a 41-10 thrashing of the New York Jets during their last game, there is a bit more optimism surrounding the team’s fortunes going forward.
While I feel a bit more confident in Buffalo’s players for both real-life and fantasy football purposes, I still recommend playing them with a grain of salt. There may be some more attractive options sitting on the fantasy waiver wire, but if you’re looking to play a Bills player, here are a few of the more solid recommendations.
RB LeSean McCoy
Buffalo’s top rusher is back—or at least he appeared to be against the Jets. McCoy is coming off his best game of 2018, having rushed 26 times for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns in Buffalo’s win over New York. His 24.9 fantasy points earned in that game were nearly as many as he had totaled over his previous four games. While Jacksonville has allowed the fourth-fewest points to the running-back position, they have allowed six different runners to score double-digit fantasy points. I expect that McCoy will be the seventh.
TE Logan Thomas
McCoy is a pretty lame “bet” to make when thinking of Buffalo players to start in fantasy football, so here is my trip out on a limb. With Charles Clay still looking iffy to play due to a hamstring injury, one of Buffalo’s young tight ends has a chance to score big. Enter Thomas, who stands to benefit from playing against a Jacksonville defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2018. The Jaguars have allowed seven touchdown passes on the year to opposing tight ends. If you’re willing to look for some boom-or-bust potential at a shallow position, Thomas could be a winner this week.
Bills D/ST
Blake Bortles is not good. The last time these teams met, Buffalo let him beat them with his legs, but they were able to keep him from doing much damage through the air. In 2018, Bortles has thrown 8 interceptions and he has fumbled 8 times. If the Bills’ defense can keep him in the pocket, they could force at least a couple of turnovers, which will lead to a good day overall.
QB Josh Allen
A bonus player! Buffalo’s rookie quarterback is expected to return to play this week, and after watching Matt Barkley play well against the Jets, he’s certainly going to want to make an impression this weekend. Looking for more fantasy-relevant optimism? Look no further than Allen’s first showdown with Jalen Ramsey, who called Allen “trash” in an interview with GQ during the off-season. A big day from Allen would certainly feel good for the rookie, even if he continues to take the high road when asked about Ramsey’s commentary.